Alabama Football Commentary: AJ McCarron should be invited to Heisman Ceremony

By Hunter Ford

It will be a crime if Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron is not invited to the Heisman award ceremony this year. He should have been invited last year. He deserves to win the award, in my opinion, because of the Heisman Trust Mission Statement, listed on the Heisman Trophy website at www.heisman.com.

“The Heisman Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance and hard work.”

Alabama QB AJ McCarron should be a Heisman finalist.

Does that not sound like A.J. to a “T”?

There’s nothing in there about huge stats. That seems to be the thing that gets most voters’ attention. A.J. has pretty good stats, and I’m not going to bother listing them. They are not Playstation-type stats, or even Johnny Football-sized stats. They are very respectable, though. And his best stats are in the win column. McCarron has won 34 games, an SEC Championship, and two BCS National Championships. He looks to be on task to add to those “stats” this season.

McCarron’s coach sees the value of his “pursuit of excellence with integrity.”

Saban praised McCarron, after the LSU game, for his unselfish leadership. McCarron was asked after the game whether he felt slighted in this year’s Heisman Trophy conversation. McCarron said wins meant more to him than individual accomplishment.

“It’s the ultimate team guy who would say that,” Saban said of McCarron. “A.J. does a real good job and goes unnoticed in terms of his leadership.

“He was very aggressive in the huddle, in terms of trying to get the guys going and get them to do the things we need to do to be successful. That kind of leadership is really important on our team. For him, that’s more important than how many yards he throws for or how many passes we throw or whatever it is. That’s the kind of attitude you want every player to have.”

The Heisman has never been a goal for any true fan of The Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama has always valued team championships over individual awards.

It’s amusing how Aubies love to point out how many Heismans The Barn has “won.” There have been three players to win the Heisman as Aubies. And only once did the Heisman come along with a national title for the Barners. Two-out-of three times Auburn has “won” a Heisman trophy, the Tigers couldn’t beat Alabama, let alone win a national championship. Alabama won the Iron Bowl in 1971 when Pat Sullivan won the trophy and in 1985 when Bo Jackson won the trophy.

Having said all that, I believe A.J. McCarron deserves the honor. The Heisman committee members should be ashamed of themselves if they don’t at least invite him. I just hope he doesn’t win it. I wouldn’t want to put that curse on my favorite quarterback. Of the past 16 quarterbacks to win a Heisman Trophy, only one (Tim Tebow) has gone on to start in an NFL playoff victory. Maybe that should tell you how meaningful the Heisman really is. Come to think of it, maybe A.J. McCarron is too good for the Sheistman Trophy.

The argument I heard on the radio about why AJ McCarron should not win the Heisman is because it’s not a lifetime achievement award. I get that.

But has any other player in college football history had anything close to what McCarron is on track to achieve?

If AJ McCarron helped his team beat Alabama, he’d be a shoe-in.

Instead he’s breaking records at arguably the most elite program in college football history.

Jameis Winston is amazing. Johnny Manziel has outrageous stats in spite of losing to every ranked team Texas A&M has played this season.

But winning still has to be a stat voters consider. Winning isn’t everything, but yes, winning is important. No, I’m not saying Alabama has already won three titles in a row, but what if Alabama does and AJ McCarron finishes his career with three national championships (think about that, three) and two total losses? He’s not just a champion. He’s living history.

And sure, maybe winning football games isn’t the most important stat for a Heisman trophy bid. Then again, no voter has had to worry about not voting for a guy with more wins in national championship games than losses as a starting quarterback.

For the record, I don’t really care about the Heisman. Neither does AJ McCarron, Nick Saban, and the University of Alabama. It just wouldn’t be a mistake if anyone voted for McCarron, at least not this year.